18 Summer Arts and Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers

This Paper Plate Ocean Craft uses blue tissue paper to give it a rich blue color, plus googly eyes to make it fun. It even has seashell fish to complete the effect!

Kids can practice their cutting skills with this fun Octopus Craft. Grab the free printable and making this fun preschool ocean craft will be a breeze.

Make a jellyfish puppet with popsicle sticks, yarn, and the free templates included with the instructions.

Younger kids might need a little help with the cutting, but otherwise can make these by themselves.

Use clothespins, pipe cleaner, styrofoam balls, and a paper ball to made this unique Crab Craft.

These Paper Plate Tropical Fish have bright, cheery and vibrant colors. Your kids are sure to have a great time making them.

These Egg Carton Ladybugs -- with pipe cleaners for attennas --are a great way to get your kids into recycled crafting fun. If you pre-cut and pre-paint the cups, these even make a great fast craft to make in school, at summer camp, or with scouts.

With only a few household items that you can probably find at the dollar store, your kids can create a fun Yellow Submarine. Make sure they also learn the song!

Moon sand is super easy to make, and is great for sensory play. Adding seashells is an easy way to give it a unique summery spin.

This Ladybug Toilet Paper Craft is easy to make and does double duty as a toy for pretend play when you're finished.

Paper crafts can be simple, but still really effective. These Summer Paper Flowers can really brighten up your home.

Turn a paper lunch bag into a Jellyfish Puppet -- or a great classroom bulletin board. A great way to teach kids about underwater creatures.

This simple recipe for DIY Puffy Paint is my most popular kids' activity on Pinterest right now. A few bottles of this an your kids will be happily busy outside for hours!

We painted a dinosaur with ours, but of course you can create summer themed animals and flowers with yours!

Spring and summer is a great time to create an Outdoor Fairy House. This one is made from a gallon milk jug, foam sheets, and an artificial flower on top.

This easy Paper Butterfly Craft is simple, yet really fun. The bright and cheery colors are perfect for spring and summer.

Not only is this craft quick and easy, but it’s also inexpensive to make.

These Tie Dye Coffee Filter Paper Flowers are so colorful and beautiful! Your kids will have a blast making tie dye patterns.

One of the best things about this craft is that all you need are a few simple household items.

What's summer without watermelon? These Watermelon Paper Plates are an engaging craft that will have kids practice color identification, cutting with scissors, color mixing, and hand dexterity.

This easy and colorful Paper Plate Seashell Craft is sure to get your kids excited for the beach.

This Popsicle Color Matching Activity is easy to put together and best of all, it’s fun and educational. Double win!

One thing that's great about this activity is that, once you've finished the painting part, it's totally mess-free. You'll want to whip it out when your kids have friends over.